Bellingham man pleads guilty to assaulting police

Tuesday

May 20, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By Matt TotaDaily News Staff

WORCESTER — A Bellingham man pleaded guilty Monday to assaulting and injuring police officers during chaotic, violent arrests in 2011 and 2012.Worcester Superior Court Judge James Lemire sentenced Joseph O’Brien, 42, to 18 months in the house of correction — with credit for time served — and three years probation.O’Brien, charged with more than 30 felonies, including assault and battery on a police officer, has already served 18 months while awaiting trial. Under the terms of his probation, he must have no contact with the Bellingham Police Department, excluding serious emergencies.O’Brien was also ordered to pay restitution to the department. A hearing has been set for Aug. 19.Assistant District Attorney Michael McHugh and defense attorney Edward McCormack III reached the plea agreement on the day O’Brien’s trial had been set to begin.The charges against O’Brien stemmed from two separate arrests during which he raged against officers’ attempts to restrain him. During one of the encounters, blood spewed from O’Brien’s cut hand as he battled back officers, who tried using pepper spray, rubber bullets, a police dog, batons and a stun gun in an attempt to stop him.In September 2011, five Bellingham officers tried to serve O’Brien an emergency restraining order. He refused to leave his home and challenged one to a fist fight, McHugh said.The officers saw O’Brien in his backyard and tried to arrest him. They used pepper spray, which had no effect, and struggled to handcuff O’Brien as he kicked at them and tried to grab for one of their guns.After the arrest, two officers went on medical leave due to injuries suffered during the fracas.A year later, O’Brien fought with Bellingham police again. The tussle started in the woods off Shirley Road, where two officers tried to place O’Brien into protective custody.According to McHugh, O’Brien struck one officer in the head with a tree branch and told them that he had been "training all his life for something like this."It took four officers to finally subdue O’Brien and bring him to the police station. But the fight wasn’t over.In the booking room, handcuffed to an iron bar and being examined by paramedics, O’Brien tore apart a telephone and swung the headset "wildly," McHugh said.O’Brien smashed a window with the phone and cut himself, asking officers if they were "ready to die today."He withstood pepper spray and rubber bullets. When police fired a stun gun at him, O’Brien ripped the barbs from his chest and ate one."He seemed to have superhuman strength," McHugh said, adding that blood tests showed O’Brien had been under the influence of the drug ketamine.Police struggled for more than two hours before they could get O’Brien under control. He was later arraigned while in a hospital bed at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.Matt Tota can be reached at 508-634-7521 or mtota@wickedlocal.com.